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If you have experienced a mental health issue that has caused you to take time off work, the thought of returning can be intimidating.

According to estimates from The Mental Health Foundation, one in four of us will experience some sort of mental health issue in the course of a year. These problems can range from more common ailments such as depression and anxiety, to more rare illnesses such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Despite these statistics, there is still a sense of stigma and a lack of understanding which can make returning to work after illness stressful. Colleagues who are unfamiliar with mental illness can make assumptions that are incorrect and may be cautious or even apprehensive around those diagnosed with a mental health problem.

The impact of this kind of stigma can cause employees to be excluded and made to feel ‘different’. If you are concerned about returning to work after a mental illness, the following tips could help:

Talk to your manager and colleagues

As tempting as it may feel to slip back into the office unnoticed, it is...

According to recent figures, the number of young people seeking help for eating disorders has risen by 110% in the last three years.

Children’s charity ChildLine has revealed that it received more than 10,500 inquiries from children and teens struggling with food/weight-related anxiety in the last financial year. This rise in numbers has been attributed to several factors by the charity, including social media pressures, a growing celebrity culture and an increase in pro-anorexia websites.

According to statistics, the problem is prevalent among secondary school aged girls. During counselling sessions, a number of girls said they disliked their bodies and compared themselves negatively with both peers and celebrities.

Head of ChildLine, Sue Minto, said:

“We are seeing increasing numbers of contacts about eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. These are complex issues, and the rise in contacts is unlikely to be down to any one thing.

“But we do know that in some cases the trigger can be abuse in childhood. We also know that the 24/7 nature of social media places huge...

‘YoungMinds’ charity releases survey highlighting the extent of mental health issues among children and young people today.

Labour leader, Ed Miliband and singer, Frankie Sandford from girl group, The Saturdays are among those supporting a campaign – YoungMinds Vs – that is calling for swift action on the growing mental problems among young people.

A survey commissioned for the national charity uncovered that children and young people are growing up in an ‘unprecedented toxic climate’ of growing mental health issues, including stress and fear of failure, but that many do not know where to turn to get help.

Depression and pressure to be thin were among the complaints made by the 2000 youngsters, aged 11 to 25, who were surveyed, while more than half admitted to feeling like a failure if they did not achieve good grades in education. Bullying was another complaint, with half admitting to have experienced it.

Also highlighted was that a third of children and young people do not know where or to whom they can turn to get help when struggling with feelings of anxiety and/or...

The soap's emotional end to the long-running storyline of Hayley Cropper’s fight with cancer is hailed by critics and wins an award at the NTAs.

The emotional final scenes of popular Coronation Street character, Hayley Cropper were praised by critics and secured a win at the National Television Awards (NTAs) this month.

The 10.2 million viewers who tuned into the peak moment of the two-part episode were both astounded and saddened to witness the passing of much-loved Hayley, after she decided to take her own life rather than suffer from pancreatic cancer.

Actors, Julie Hesmondhalgh, who plays Hayley, and David Nielson who plays Hayley’s devoted husband, Roy, were highly praised for their “brave and moving” scenes and depiction of bereavement and loss of a loved one. Hesmondhalgh even went on to win the Serial Drama Performance Award at the NTAs.

Ben Lawrence, writing in The Telegraph described the episodes as “something special”, adding that Hayley’s death “was not handled with the customary swiftness that defies us to empathise – we were in that flat with Hayley and husband Roy living every...

The Deputy Prime Minister will pledge to bring mental health issues out of the shadows and to improve standards of treatment in his upcoming speech. The Mental Health Action Plan has set out 25 areas that require immediate action to improve treatment, care and support.

In Mr Clegg’s speech he will say that people need to change their attitudes towards mental health. An example of the nation’s current attitude was typified when England Cricketer, Jonathan Trott was told “winners don’t quit” and to “pull yourself together” when he returned home from the Ashes tour due to a stress-related condition.

“No-one would have said those things if Jonathan Trott had broken his wrist, but it’s typical of the different ways we treat physical and mental health. It’s damaging and unhelpful.” – Nick Clegg

Mr Clegg also points out that one in four people will experience a mental health problem at some point...

Some experts believe that video games are an untapped resource for those suffering with depression.

When video games are mentioned in the news, they are usually portrayed in a negative light. With connotations of violence, addiction and laziness – many parents are trying to get their children to play less video games, not more.

But could some video games actually help make people with depression feel better?

A recent report from the American Psychological Association (APA) has described the video game arena to be a ‘largely untapped’ resource that holds ‘great potential’.

Interestingly there has been a recent surge in games specifically designed to raise awareness of mental health issues and even help to treat them. One such game is called Depression Quest.

The game was created by 26-year-old Zoe Quinn from Boston, who found solace in online games when she suffered from late night panic attacks,

“Being able to jump into this digital world for a while, and not be stir crazy, was actually super...

A recent survey has revealed that almost 50% of all adults in the UK experience feelings of loneliness. For some people the feeling is fleeting, for others it is a battle they face every day.

While loneliness is considered as an emotional feeling, studies have shown that severe loneliness is felt as a physical sensation and is processed by the same part of the brain as hunger. The reason being alone affects us so much is because feeling connected to the rest of the world is one of the biggest components of happiness.

Unfortunately a sense of disconnection can come as we age, however in today’s world loneliness is becoming a problem for the young too. People aged between 24 and 44 are now five times more likely to live alone than they were four decades ago. Of course there are some people who relish being alone and enjoy living by themselves, but there are others who struggle without social interaction.

Jonny Benjamin tried to take his own life in 2008, but was stopped by a passer by. Now Jonny wants to say thank you.

Jonny Benjamin was 20 when he was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder (a condition that has both psychotic and mood symptoms). He received treatment but had lost hope that his life would ever return to normality.

On the morning of 14 January 2008 Jonny walked to Waterloo bridge and intended to end his life. Feeling distressed and hopeless, Jonny was on the other side of the railings when a passerby offered him coffee.

“He was very calm and said ‘Please don’t do this, I’ve been where you are and you can get better. Let’s have a coffee and we can talk about this,’ he reminded me of what people do every day so the normality of it was really interesting.”

Climbing back over the railings, Jonny agreed to go for a coffee. By this time the police had arrived and were there to take care of him – in the end, Jonny never found out the stranger’s name.

A recent report suggests that a mental health crisis is looming for gay teenagers in the UK.

Findings from the biggest social research study into young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in England have revealed that over half experience mental health issues, with 40% considering suicide. The Youth Chances project also warns that a generation of LGBT people face a mental health crisis.

The project was led by charity Metro and gained data from over 7,000 16-25 year-old lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people who were asked about their experiences of education, health services, relationships and employment. The results revealed that 50% of respondents had self-harmed and 42% had sought help for depression or anxiety.

The Youth Chances project also warned that the neglect of LGBT issues by schools is contributing to a climate of fear and hostility. Metro’s acting chief executive, Dr Greg Ussher said the following:

“By the age of 13 most are already sure or are questioning their sexuality or gender identity, so we need...

A recent study suggests that living near green spaces has a sustained positive effect on happiness.

UK researchers have found that living near green, open spaces affects our mental health in a positive way. Unlike a promotion or pay rise which only offers a temporary mood-boost, the study shows that being near nature has a sustained positive effect.

The findings have been published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology and indicate that access to quality urban parks is beneficial to our health.

One of the authors, Matthew White from the European Centre for Environment and Human Health at the University for Exeter, explained that the study was built on results showing that those living in ‘greener’ urban areas displayed fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Dr White explained to BBC News that there could have been many reasons for the participants to be happy, including marriage, promotions and pay rises.

“But the trouble with all those things is that within six months to a year, they are back to their original...